Sporting success has come as a complete surprise to Donington fighter Megan Hartfil-Allgood (15) who is the new English taekwondo champion.

The Spalding High School student won gold in the cadet girls black belt middleweight division at the TAGB (Taekwondo Association of Great Britain) English Championships in Worcester on the same weekend as Megan’s schoolmates started their Easter holidays.

Megan Hartfil-Allgood after her success in the Cadet Girls Black Belt Middleweight division at the TAGB English Championships in Worcester.

Megan now has her sights set on the World Championships in Birmingham this July after defying her status as one of the lightest fighters in her category to win her first national title.

“I didn’t expect to get anywhere, but I was training with the England squad and my instructor was pushing me more,” Megan said.

“This was my first time fighting at middleweight after moving up to the cadets and I’m not a very aggressive fighter.

“But I can move out of the way (of kicks and punches) quite easily and block things out around me.”

‘It was more of a hobby to start with but I carried on because I wanted to see what it was all about’